Tim Sutherland
Battlefield Archaeology (Tutor)

Profile

Biography

Tim Sutherland has enjoyed an extensive and varied career in archaeology for over 30 years since he worked on the archaeological excavations of the Roman Fort at Castlefield, Manchester. Tim has a broad experience in professional archaeology, working his way up from a site assistant, via project officer, to archaeological inspector and archaeological consultant. He gained a distinction in his Masters degree in archaeological prospection and geophysical survey.

Sutherland, T.L., 2010 'Killing Time: Challenging the Common Perceptions of Three Medieval Conflicts—Ferrybridge, Dintingdale and Towton—"The Largest Battle on British Soil" Journal of Conflict Archaeology, 5 No.1, 1-25

Research

Overview

Specialising in medieval battlefields and warfare, Tim continues to contribute significantly to battlefield archaeology both nationally and internationally.

He was founder of the Conflict Archaeology International Research Network (CAIRN), a network established to bring together an international group of experts working within the discipline of the archaeology of conflict, providing a much needed forum for discussion, debate and exchange of ideas.

He has directed a number of high profile battlefield projects, the largest of which being the Towton Battlefield Archaeology Project which began in 1997. This project, initiated and directed by Tim, was the first successful multidisciplinary approach to systematically recovering and recording material from a medieval battle in Britain. This project is ongoing, with further excavations on a second mass grave on the battlefield, as well as extensive fieldwork and research on the battle as a whole, including the identification and recovery of one of the largest assemblages of medieval arrowheads to be found on a medieval British battlefield. Tim is also soon to be submitting his PhD thesis, a major work on the battlefield and battlefield methodology entitled, ‘The Application of an Integrated Prospection Methodology to the Understanding of the Archaeological Landscape of the Towton Battlefield’.

Other successful projects include the ongoing extensive archaeological survey of the Battle of Agincourt (1415), involving an excavation of the official site of mass graves, as well as providing expert guidance on research strategies for battlefield projects on many important battle sites. These include Fulford (1066), Vadum Jacob, Israel (1179), Lewes (1264), Evesham (1265), Aljuboratta, Portugal (1385), Shrewsbury (1403), Stoke Field (1487), Mästerby and Visby, Gotland, Sweden (1361), Dornach, Switzerland (1499), Knockdoe, Ireland (1504), Lützen, Germany (1632) and Waterloo, Belgium (1815).

Tim has also advised H.M. Government on battlefield heritage management and protection and has given presentations in the Houses of Parliament. He has been the archaeological advisor to, and has featured in many radio and television programmes. He is currently lead archaeologist in the sucessful television archaeological documentary series Medieval Dead, series 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Tim has been published, both nationally and internationally, on subjects ranging from medieval conflict and battlefields to remote sensing on Iron Age brochs and pre-historic grain storage pits in Pakistan. He is also an experienced lecturer in archaeology having previously worked at the Universities of Bradford and Bournemouth. He has lectured on many subjects including battlefield archaeology, forensic archaeology and geophysical survey.